Regional News

China’s Cadmium-Tainted Rice Scandal

Farmers work at terraced fields in Hunan province, the provenance of much of the rice found to be contaminated by Guangzhou authorities.

HUNAN CHINA – Xinhua News in China has reported that rice believed grown in China’s Hunan Province contains unacceptable traces of cadmium, is the latest scandal to beset the country’s food chain and probably means imports will have to rise sharply to meet the shortfall.

China had already emerged as the second-largest importer in 2012 at 2.6 million tonnes, according to Dr Samarendu Mohanty, economist at the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines. That was four times the country’s 2011 imports and the amount of imports was already expected to grow before the cadmium-tainted rice was discovered.

Firefighters work to put in chemicals made from dissolved aluminum chloride to neutralize the polluted Longjiang River. Eighty tonnes of aluminum chloride, a neutralizing agent, has been put into the river to eliminate the health risk since excessive cadmium levels was detected.

The fouled samples were found at rice mills in Guangzhou. Hunan, a heavily farmed agricultural province that borders Guangdong, produces 25 million tonnes or 12 percent of China’s 200 million tonne annual rice crop. Cadmium, a toxic heavy metal that can seriously damage the kidneys and cause other health problems, has been found in 44.4 percent of rice and rice products tested so far this year in Guangzhou.

The crisis in Chinese rice comes at a time when prices have been stable in Asia because of plentiful stocks – for now, particularly Thailand, which has 17 million tonnes bulging in warehouses because of a government scheme to buy the political loyalty of farmers by paying them 40 percent more than the market price.

“In the past few months,” Mohanty wrote, “rice prices have come under pressure because of weak demand and the large stockpiles in key exporting countries. The strong harvest from the wet-season crop in Asia has helped to lower export quotations from Vietnam, Pakistan, and India, But Thai prices remain unruffled by the global situation mainly because of the mortgage scheme. This mortgage scheme has also created more uncertainty in the global market as traders do not know when mortgaged rice will be released and at what price.”

Thailand has been expected to start begin to dump its stockpiles relatively soon as a lack of storage space is starting to be critical. But if Thailand were to find a buyer in China, it would probably have to be a sharply reduced price that would cost the Thai treasury millions of dollars. Last September, the government put 763,856 tonnes of rice on the market at an average of US$547 per tonne but sold less than a third of what it put up for auction – 232,000 tonnes.

It is hardly the first time Chinese rice has been found to be contaminated. In 2011, data collected by Nanjing Agricultural University found that in some areas 60 percent of samples were contaminated, some with up to five times the legal limit of various heavy metals.

Although the investigations haven’t been completed, the cadmium is believed to have entered the crop through polluted soil. China’s heavy metal mining, in which tailings often haven’t been quarantined, allowing water runoff into lakes and rivers, has created an enormous environmental problem.

The announcement of the contaminated rice is the latest depressing episode in a long list of scandals that make it questionable whether anybody would want to eat any food originating anywhere in China. It follows by just a few weeks the announcement in early May that more than 900 people had been arrested for taking meat from rats, foxes, mink and other animals and processed it with additives to sell it as lamb.

Scandals over tainted baby formula have led to a roaring industry in which expatriate Chinese buy milk powder formula from as far away as the United States, Europe and Australia and New Zealand to ship it into China because nobody trusts the local products since hundreds of babies were sickened several years ago with milk powder adulterated with melamine, causing kidney stones. In March, Hong Kong threatened travelers with two years in jail and HK$500,000 in fines for possession of two cans of milk powder in an effort to stem the flow into China.

Other problems have included a report last November that Chinese alcohol producer Jinggui Liqour Co. was caught adding three types of plasticizers, which reportedly improve taste and appearance but are extremely hazardous, to its Maotai liquor. One of the plasticizers was 260 percent above the acceptable level. The chemical can change hormone levels, damage the digestive system and even cause liver cancer.

Illegal chemicals have been found in bean sprouts in Shenyang and long beans in Wuhan, Almost half the country’s dairies were ordered closed because of the addition of leather-hydrolyzed protein which, like melamine, appears to boost the protein content of milk, thereby enhancing its value. “Aluminum dumplings” were found in Shenzhen with levels of aluminum above national standards, apparently because of the excessive use of baking powder containing the metal. Eighteen outbreaks of food-related poisoning were reported between 1998 and 2007 from the use of the steroid clenbuterol, known as “lean meat powder” in pork production.

Hunan’s output of unhusked rice totaled 25 million tons in 2011, or 12.8 percent of the country’s total, according to data by the Ministry of Agriculture.

The Guangzhou Food and Drug Administration said in a May 16 report on its website that 44 percent of rice tested in selected samples had excessive levels of cadmium. Most of the rice that that failed to meet the standard was from two counties of Hunan, the official Xinhua News Agency reported today, without citing anyone.

Regional News

Thai Immigration Police Detain Over 26,000 Illegal Migrant Workers

Thailand’s Immigration Police have detained approximately 26,000 illegal migrant workers from Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia during an eight-day operation in Bangkok and surrounding regions, according to a Royal Thai Police spokesperson.

Mr Adisorn Keudmeuangkhon of the Bangkok-based Migrant Working Group said the drive was in response to an increasing number of concerns about an influx of illegal migrant labor.

“Some Thai people see that many illegal workers are competing for their job positions in the past few months,” he told me. “That’s why the ministry has to take tougher action.”

Civil strife in Myanmar and the recent implementation of a military conscription have driven thousands of Burmese into Thailand, while severe inflation and limited job opportunities in Laos have also encouraged an influx of workers from that country.

Between June 5 and 12, officials detained and checked 20,111 Myanmar laborers, 1,659 Laotian migrant workers, and 3,971 Cambodian workers, according to the Ministry of Labor.

It marked the start of a 120-day campaign to audit workplaces and arrest unlawful migrant workers, according to the government.

Migrant Workers to be Deported

According to Keudmeuangkhon, undocumented workers face fines ranging from 5,000 to 50,000 Thai baht (US $136 to $1,365), deportation, and a two-year prohibition on re-entering Thailand.

Authorities did not intend to file criminal charges, he claimed.

Authorities raided 1,774 workplaces, according to Moe Gyo, chairman of the Joint Action Committee on Burmese Affairs, which advocates for Myanmar labor rights.

He stated that since the military junta activated conscription, there has been an upsurge in the number of arrests of Myanmar citizens in Thailand who do not have a work permit identity card.

All men aged 18 to 35 and women aged 18 to 27 must serve in the military for at least two years. The first group of 5,000 conscripts summoned by Myanmar’s junta will start duty at the end of this month, military sources told AFP on Monday.

According to Keudmeuangkhon, the bulk of Lao migrant workers in Thailand work as fresh market shopkeepers, restaurant servers, and mall salespeople.

Most people visit Thailand as part of ASEAN’s visa-free policy for tourists, but they stay longer than the 30-day restriction once they find job.

“Employers like to hire Lao migrant workers in the service sector because they can speak fluent Thai,” he told me.

Immigration Police Detain Illegal Migrant Workers

The Thai Cabinet may approve an enhanced program for Thai employers to register their unauthorized foreign workers in July or August. Keudmeuangkhon explained.

Last month, the Thai Ministry of Labor’s Foreign Workers Administration office announced that 268,465 Lao migrant workers were officially working in Thailand.

Baykham Kattiya, Lao Minister of Labor, told Radio Free Asia earlier this month that there are 415,956 migrant workers in other nations, the majority of whom work in Thailand.

According to her, the Lao government believes that over 203,000 persons working outside of the nation lack proper work documents.

However, a Lao official familiar with the labor industry informed Radio Free Asia, a BenarNews-affiliated news station, on June 20 that the number of illegal Lao migrant workers in Thailand and abroad is likely significantly greater.

“They go to other countries as illegal migrant workers through different types of methods – as tourists or students,” said the politician. “Thus, it is hard for the immigration police to collect data on these people.”

Government Officials Responsible for Smuggling in Migrant Workers

Government Officials Responsible for Smuggling in Migrant Workers

News

High School Student Dies After Being Electrocuted By School Water Dispenser

14-year-old boy was electrocuted by a water dispenser: File Image

Thailand’s Office of Basic Education Commission has initiated an investigation into the electrocution of a 14-year-old student by a water dispenser in a high school. The event happened at noon on Friday, during the high school’s sports day. The victim was a Grade 8 student.

According to local media in Trang Province, the incident occurred when a teacher instructed the pupil to turn off a water dispenser amid a heavy rain.

According to a witness, the child collapsed while strolling with his friend near a water station. The friend claimed he attempted to assist but was also shocked by electricity.

According to reports, the friend then recovered, left the site, and requested assistance from teachers. A teacher ran to the scene and used a towel to pull the boy away by the ankle. He was taken to the hospital, but it was too late, they claimed.

The event sparked criticism from parents and netizens over school safety, as well as the slow response to aid the young youngster.

Mr. Chainarong Changrua, head of Trang-Krabi’s Secondary Educational Service Area Office, told local media on Sunday that forensic officers from Trang Provincial Police had visited the area. They discovered the blown breaker switch behind the water dispenser, he explained.

The breaker was burned out, thus the authorities assumed the disaster was caused by a short circuit that allowed energy to spill to a neighboring power pole. The student also appeared wet and was not wearing shoes when electrocuted.

According to the Office of Basic Education Commission, a probe team will complete its investigation this week.

The student’s father, Mr Pornchai Thepsuwan, 53, claimed he was saddened when he saw his son’s body. The boy (Wayu), was the youngest of two boys, he explained. He stated that following the tragedy, the school director and staff gave financial assistance to the families.

Mr Pornchai also said he would not seek charges against the institution because he believed it was an accident.

Electrical accidents in Thailand

Electrocution instances in Thailand have increased alarmingly in recent years. Many mishaps occur as a result of improper wiring and inadequate maintenance of electrical systems.

Public locations, such as schools and markets, frequently lack adequate safety precautions, putting individuals in danger. In rural areas, antiquated infrastructure exacerbates the situation, resulting in more frequent and serious events.

Although several high-profile cases have brought these challenges to light, genuine progress has been gradual. Furthermore, the rainy season heightens the likelihood of electrical accidents, as water and exposed wires do not mix well.

The government has made steps to strengthen safety standards, but enforcement is patchy. More education on electrical safety could help to reduce these accidents.

Unfortunately, better infrastructure and tougher rules may have prevented many of these incidents. The loss and injuries caused by electrocution are avoidable, emphasizing the need for immediate action.

Over 200 High School Students Facing Sedition Charges in Thailand

Over 200 High School Students Facing Sedition Charges in Thailand

News

Thailand’s Tourist Police Crackdown on Tourist Scammers in Pattaya

Tourist Police Pattaya: File Image

Thailand’s Tourist Police said it is collaborating with embassies from five countries to combat tourist scams and ten criminal gangs in Pattaya. The Tourist Police Bureau, convened a meeting on Thursday Pol Lt Gen Saksira Phuek-am told a press briefing.

Pol Lt Gen Saksira Phuek-am, the Tourist Police bureau commissioner said the participants included ambassadors from South Korea, Ukraine, Russia, India, and Switzerland.

He told the briefing the he had ordered a crackdown on tourist frauds, such as fraudulent or low-quality tour operators and unfair sales of goods and services. Stepped-up operations began on June 19 and will continue until June 25.

He stated that the agency was working with numerous organisations to increase tourists’ confidence in visiting Pattaya.

Gen Saksira spent time on the famed Walking Street speaking with officers on duty and assigned them to seek for members of ten criminal groups known to operate in Pattaya.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin will visit Chon Buri on Saturday to assess the tourism situation. He intends to visit the site of a future Formula One racecourse near Khao Phra Tamnak in Bang Lamung District.

Prime Minister Srettha recently met with Formula One organisers in Italy to examine the potential of including Thailand on the race schedule in the future.

On Sunday, the Prime Minister will pay a visit to Rayong’s U-tapao airport to discuss development on the airport’s land, with the goal of encouraging investment in the Eastern Economic Corridor.

Police Chief Reinstated

In other police news, Pol Gen Torsak Sukvimol has been reinstated as national police chief following the conclusion of an investigation into a highly publicised quarrel, according to Wissanu Krea-ngam, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s counsellor.

Mr Wissanu released the investigation’s findings on Thursday, after the prime minister formed a fact-finding committee chaired by Chatchai Promlert to investigate into the quarrel between Pol Gen Torsak and his deputy, Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn.

The four-month study revealed conflicts and disorder at all levels of the Royal Thai Police, but it was unclear whether these issues arose from a single cause or several causes, according to Mr Wissanu.

The findings revealed that both Pol Gen Torsak and Pol Gen Surachate were involved, with each team contributing to the tensions, he noted.

Mr Wissanu indicated that Pol Gen Surachate was reinstated as deputy national police head on 18 April following his relocation to the Prime Minister’s Office on 20 March. A disciplinary committee was formed to investigate Pol Gen Surachate, and he was ordered temporarily suspended from the police force.

Because there were no further difficulties to explore, it was decided to restore Pol Gen Torsak. He plans to retire on September 30.

On March 20, Mr Srettha abruptly transferred both top police officers to the Prime Minister’s Office in an effort to address the growing schism within the police service.

Kitrat Panphet, Deputy National Police Chief, was subsequently named Acting Police Chief. According to sources, Pol Gen Surachate could face money laundering charges related to online gaming networks.

Source: Bangkok Post